Fence-post.



. PATENTED APR. 4, 1905. L. W. JOHNSO N.

FENCE POST. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1-904.

5] 14 vantoz UNITED STATES Patented April 4, 1905.

LOUIS WV. JOHNSON, OF MOUNT VERNON, MISSOURI.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,568, dated April 4, 1905.

Application filed July 19, 1904. Serial No, 217,199.

To call whom, it may concern- Be it known that I, LOUIS WV. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Lawrence and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fence-posts.

The principal object of the invention is to facilitate the operation of driving a fencepost into any character of soil and to prevent the post from mushrooming or spreading at its upper end as a result of the blows delivered thereupon during the driving operation.

Further objects of the invention are to improve, simplify, and strengthen the construction of fence-posts as well as to increase their durability.

The principal object of the invention is accomplished, preferably, by providing a tubular fence-post having an open upper end and a cap adapted to fit the upper end thereof and having a spring adapted to fit into the interior of said post, whereby the cap is held temporarily in position upon the post and serves as a buffer to receive the blows delivered during the operation of driving the post into the ground, said cap thus acting to prevent any deformation of the post. The operation of driving the post into any character of soil is facilitated further by providing a solid pointed end adapted to penetrate the soil, and the durability of the post is increased by forming in its lower end above the solid point thereof a plurality of exit openings or perforations, whereby any water which may collect in the post during a rain or from any other cause may drain off without difiiculty.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a side elevation of a fence embodying in its construction a plurality of posts constructed in accordance with the invention, the wires or runners being removed from one of the posts. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a post constructed in accordance with the invention, the improved driving-cap being shown in position. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the driving-cap.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the improved post, which, preferably, is tubular in form and is provided with a solid pointed lower end 2. Above the pointed lower end 2 the post 1 is formed with a plurality of perforations 3, by means of Which any water which may collect in the post during a rain or from any other cause may drain off instead of being permitted to remain in the post, and thus promote injurious corrosive action. At its upper end the post 1 is formed internally With screw-threads 4, by means of which a suitable ornamental cap 5 maybe screwec thereon when so desired.

In order to facilitate the operation of driving the post into hard soil without causing the deformation of its upper end, an improved driving-cap, such as 6, is provided. The driving-cap 6 is formed with a depending annular flange 7, adapted to [it around the upper end of the post, and thus prevent any spreading or mushrooming thereof. An approximately U-shaped spring 8 is fastened intermediate its ends to the cap 6 by means of a screw or bolt 9 and is adapted to fit into the upper end of the post 1 and to exert outward pressure thereon in order temporarily to secure the cap 6 firmly upon the post during the operation of driving said post into the ground. The lower parallel ends of the spring 8 preferably extend below the annular flange 7 of the drivingcap, so as to exert greater outward pressure upon the post, and the lower parallel ends of said spring preferably are bent toward each other, as shown at 10, in order that they may be fitted readily into the upper end of the post when placing the cap in position thereon.

1n driving the posts into the ground it is necessary to use only one driving-cap 6, said driving-cap being fitted in turn to each post and used as a buffer to receive the blows of the mallet or sledge-hammer in driving the post and being then removed and applied to the next post. After a post has been driven into the ground and the driving-cap removed therefrom a suitable ornamental cap, such as 5, may be applied thereto, if desired.

The invention preferably contemplates the use of a post 1, having horizontal slots 11, into each of which slots one of the Wires or runners 12, constituting part of a fence, is inserted, said wires or runners being held securely in place by means of any suitable vertical rod or wire 13, passing down through each post and locking the wires or runners securely within the slots 11. When it is desired to form a gap in the fence, as shown in Fig. 1, the vertical rod or wire 13 is withdrawn through the upper end of the post by first removing the ornamental cap 5, and the wires or runners may then be removed easily from the slots.

The posts of this invention are strong, durable, and inexpensive in construction, and by using the improved driving-cap 6 they may be driven into any character of soil without injurious spreading at the upper end of the post, which would prevent it from possessing an ornamental appearance or being adapted to receive an ornamental cap.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A tubular fence-posthaving slots therein to receive wires, a lower pointed end, waterexit perforations above the lower pointed end, and internal screw-threads at its upper end, and a removable driving-cap fitted over the upper end of the post and having a U-shaped spring secured thereto and fitting into the upper end of the post.

2. A fence-post-driving cap having a depending annular flange and a U-shaped spring secured to the lower surface of said cap.

3. A fenee-post-driving cap having a depending annularflange, and a U-shaped spring secured to said cap inside the annular flange, the ends of said spring projecting beyond said annular flange.

4. A fence-post-driving cap having a depending annular flange, and a U-shaped spring secured to said cap inside the annular flange, the ends of said spring projecting beyond said annular flange and being bent toward each other.

5. A fence comprising a plurality of fenceposts, each having a pointed solid end, a plu-' rality of water-exit perforations adjacent to said solid pointed end, a plurality of horizontal slots, and internal screw-threads at its upper end, a plurality of wires or runners fitted into the horizontal slots of the posts, and a wire or rod within each post for holding the runners in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS XV. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. HARRIS, WM. FREDRIoK. 

